Safety device



Nov. 9, 1937. H. A. FINE 2,098,381

SAFETY DEVICE Filed Aug. 14, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 e4 6 HO '9 '(38 'Q0 ,04 @A @w80 50 54 Y 239/V xNvENToR 4 ATTORNEY Nov. 9,'1937. H. A. FINE SAFETY DEVICE Filed Aug. 14, 1955 2 sheets-sneek 2 INVENTOR HHRRY f7. FINE.

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 9, i937 UNITED STATES SAFETY DEVICE Harry A. Fine, Flushing, N. Y., assignor to I. B. Kleinert Rubber Company, New York, N. Y.

Application August 14, 1935, Serial No. 36,160

18 Claims.

The present invention relates to safety devices for apparatus comprising reciprocating tools, and more particularly to safety devices for di-e presses and similar apparatus.

One object of the invention is to provide such apparatus with means to protect the operator against injury.

Another object of the invention is to provide a press or other apparatus having a reciprocating plunger or tool with means to positively engage a movable part of the apparatus to prevent movement thereof except upon actuation of said means to release said movable part.

Another object of the invention is to provide such apparatus with a safety latch to hold the plunger or tool in retracted position so that said tool or plunger cannot be'operated without first releasing said latch.

A further object of the invention is toprovide i0 such apparatus with means to move the operators hand or ngers out of the path of the plunger during the movement of the latter to projected position.

The above objects of the invention and other .n objects ancillary thereto will best be understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a press provided with the s safety devices of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the press shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; s Fig. 4 is a sectional View on the line 4-4 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 5 is a front view of the latch mechanism and the mounting plate therefor;

Fig. 6 is a sectional View on the line 6 8 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line 'l-'l of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. 2. v

The safety devices of the present invention ar intended primarily for use in connection with foot-operated presses of the type in which a reciprocating plunger carrying a tool or a die is moved with relation to a complementary member 50 such as an anvil or die positioned therebelow, and,

more particularly, for use in connection with such presses which are utilized for securing parts of separable fastener elements, such as the button and socket parts of snap fasteners, to articles J provided with such fasteners. It will be understood, however, that, the present safety devices may be employed in association with presses utilized forother purposes as well as with apparatushaving other tools, such as cutting and punching tools.

In the specific embodiment illustrated herein, one of the safety devices comprises a member pivoted to a stationaryvpart of the press and normally positioned so as to prevent movement oiV theY plunger into engagement with the complementary die4 or anvil, but movable to release the plunger to permit the latter to be projected for accomplishing Aits function. The other safety device, as illustrated herein, comprises a guard member'V which is operated under the control of the mechanism for actuating the plunger to move the operators hands or ngers out of the path of the plunger should the operator inadvertently fail to remove his hands or lingers out of said path when operating the press while the latch is released or when the press is not equipped with said latch or other positive stop member.

The apparatus here shown as equipped with the safety devices of the present invention comprises a foot-operated press including a yoke 2 frame I0 mounted on a base or stand I2. The upper part of the yoke frame is'pro-vided With horizontally extending and vertically spaced bearing members I4 and I Ii within which the machine tool here shown as a cylindrical plunger I8 is slidably mounted. At the lower part of the frame below the plunger I8 and in the path of the latterfthere is a stationary member 2|] which ,is screw-threaded, as shown, for vertical adjustment on the frame, a set screw 22 being provided for releasably holding said member against rotation in adjusted position. The plunger I8 may carry a die 24 and. the stationary member 2d may-be provided with a complementary die or work support 26. The plunger I8 is held in' normally retracted position by means of a helical spring Y28 which is disposed about said plunger and bears at one end on the bearing I6 and at its other end against the pin 30 which, in the normally retracted position of the plunger I8, abuts the lower surface of the bearing member I4 to limit the upward movement of the plunger. An upper surface portion 32 of the plunger is flattened and is in slidable engagement with the ilat end of a screw 34 to prevent the plunger from rotating in its bearings I4 and I6. Y The tool I8 is moved to projected.v or work-engaging position by means of a pivoted lever 36 mounted on a pin 38 in the horizontally-spaced vertically-extending bearing members 39. The

rear end of the lever 36 has a pivotal connection 46 with one arm 42 of a toggle lever, the other arm 44 of the toggle lever having a fixed pivotal connection 46 with the yoke frame I0. Said arms 42 and 44 are pivotally connected by a transversely extending pin 48 disposed for sliding movement in the slots 50 of the bifurcated portion 52 of the operating lever 54. Said operating lever is pivotally mounted on alpivot pin 56carried by a bracket 58 which depends from the base I2. The lower end of the operating lever 54 is provided with a treadle 60. pressure on the treadle 66, the operating lever 54 is caused to operate the toggle lever thereby to actuate the lever 36, whereby the forward portion of the latter is brought into engagement with the upper end of the plunger I3 for moving said plunger to projected or work-engaging' position against the pressure of the spring 28.

l In order to prevent inadvertent projection of the plunger or the tool carried thereby to workengaging position, there is provided a safety device comprising a stop member 62 which is normally disposed in the path of movement of the pin 36 whereby to engage the latter and positively prevent the movement of the plunger. Said stop member 62 is pivotally mounted at its lower end on a pivot pin 64 fixed to and projected from the inner face oi the mounting plate'66 which is secured by screws 6l to the upper forward part of the yoke fram-e II) adjacent the bearings I4 and I6. An operating lever 68 having a iinger piece 69 is pivotally mountedon a screw bearing 'ID positioned above the pivot pin 64 and is connected to the stop member 62 by a screw stud 12. Said stud 'I2 is secured in Xed relation to the upper end of the stop member 62 and eX- tends through a slot I4 provided at the upper end of said operating lever. Said screwstud 12 extends from the stop member 62 at one side of the plate 66 over the inwardly off-set edge 'I6 of the latter to the other side thereof and into the slot 14 of the operating lever 68. The width of the slot 'I4 is approximately equal to the diameter of the screw stud 12, whereby rotation of the movement of the lever 68 from the position shown in full lines to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, is eiective to move the stop arm out of the path of the pin member 30 to permit the tool to be projected to work-engaging position. It will be observed thatwhile the stop member 62 and the operating lever 68 are mounted on different centres of rotation, the provision of the slot 'I4 permits said movement of the stop member 62 and by reason 'of the limited length of said slot, the movement of the stop member 62 to toolrreleasing position is limited by the engagement of the shank of the screw stud 'I2 with one end of said slo-t. When the operating lever 68 is released, it is returned to normal locking position in the path of the member 30, against the shoulder on the plate 66, by means of a tension spring 'I8 having one end secured to the upper end 69 of the operating lever 68, and its other end secured to the bearing 39. Thus, it is seen that the tool cannot be moved to -workengaging position, unless the safety device is operated to move the stop member 62 out of the path of the pin 30, and the operator of the apparatus is therefore protected against injury due to the inadvertent actuation of the plunger or the tool carried thereby.

For the purpose of affording added protection to the operator of apparatus of the type herein contemplated, anadditional safety device is pro- 'Ihus, by exerting plunger stop device described above.

vided in accordance with the present invention, and it is intended that said device, although useful by itself, shall be utilized together with the The additional safety device comprises a guard member 8|) which is mounted for movement adjacent the stationary member 26, or the die 26 carried thereby, substantially in the plane of the work support surface and transversely of the path of the tool I8.

The guard 86 comprises a plate having an elon- Y gated slot 82, which is about as wide as the diameter of the stationary die member 26, and is deiinedy by the spaced longitudinally extending arms 34. The guard member 86 has a saddle portion 86 provided with downwardly reflexed side portions 88 and 90 in slidable engagement with a block 92. The saddle 36 is adjustably secured to the block 62 by means of a set screw 94 which projects through an elongated opening 96 in said side portion 63 and is threaded into an opening 98 in the block 92. The guard member 86 may be adjusted vertically with respect tothe die member 26 by sliding the saddle 86 in engagement with the sides of the block 92. Said refleXed side portion 88 is positioned within a groove 89 in the side of the block 62 whereby movement of the saddle longitudinally of the block is prevented.

Ihe block 92 is provided with a bore 93 which receives one end of an operating rod I 60. The block 92 is adjustably secured to the rod |06 by a screw |02, which pro-jects through a slot 91 provided in the side portion 96 of the saddle S6. It

will be observed that the shank of the saddle ad- 1 justing screw S4 terminates short of the rod 93 so as not to interfere with the longitudinal movement of the block 92 on the operating rod |00, and it will be observed also that the slot 91 permits vertical adjustment of the saddle 86 with respect to the block 62. The operating rod I 00 is slidably mounted in a bore |64 in the yoke frame I0 and terminates in a free end |66 disposed adjacent to the main operating lever 54 below the arm 44 of the toggle lever. |06 is normally retained in retracted position by a spring |68 disposed about said rod and having one end bearing against the yoke frame I0 and its other end bearing against a collar I I0, secured at the end of the operating rod I 60.

In the normal position of the parts, prior to the projection of the tool to work-engaging position, the guard 86 is in retracted position with the end |66 of the rod |65) closely adjacent to or in Contact with theoperating lever 54. Upon movement of said rod 54 to project the tool to workengaging position, the operating rcd |116 is moved against the pressure of the spring I 68 transverse-- ly of the path of movement cf the plunger I8 and the tool carried thereby. Thus, should the operator of the apparatus inadvertently fail to remove his hands or ngers from they path of the tool, the movement of the guard 88 will either move the operators hands or fingers out of the path of said tool or will call the operators atfl tention to his danger, thus greatly minimizing, if not entirely eliminating, the chances of injury.

It is apparent from the above description of the safety devices of the pres-ent invention, that both of said devices contribute to protect the operator against injury by the plunger or the tool carried thereby. In most, if not all cases, the releasable stop member will be eiiective to prevent injury te the operator, since the plunger can- The operating rod not be reciprocated unless the stop member is 75 released. However, should the operator release the stop member and for some reason fail to remove his hand or ngers from the path oi' the plunger, the reciprocating guard, by moving transversely oi said path, will either push the operators hands or fingers out of said path or, by engagement with the operators hands or fingers if the latter are in the path of the plunger, will awaken the operator to his danger so that the latter will have an opportunity to remove his iingers before the plunger or tool is fully projected.

Thus, it is seen that the safety devices of the present invention are well adapted to accomplish the several objects of the invention. it will be understood, however, that certain changes in the construction and arrangement of parts may be made and that certain of the parts may be used without others. Accordingly, I do not wish to be limited to the precise constructions herein shown, except as may be required by the appended claims and the prior art.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. Apparatus comprising a frame, a tool mounted in said frame for movement to retracted position and to work-engaging position, and releasable means for preventing movement of said tool to work-engaging position, said means cornprising a member in xed relation to said tool and movable therewith, a stop member pivotally mounted on said frame in the path of movement of said first member to engage the latter and thereby prevent movement of said 'tool to work- -engaging position and movable out of said path to permit movement of said tool to work-engaging position, and a lever pivotally mounted on said frame and having an operative connection with said stop member for moving the latter out of said path, said lever having a slot and said connection comprising a stud xed to said stop member and projecting into said slot for engagement with said lever, said stud having limited movement in said slot to limit the movement of said stop member.

2. Apparatus comprising a frame, a tool mounted in said frame for movement to retracted position and to work-engaging position, and releasable means for preventing movement of said tool to work-engaging position, said means comprising a member in fixed relation to said tool and movable therewith, .a stop member pivotally mounted on said frame in the path of movement of said rst member to engage the latter and thereby prevent movement of said tool to work-engaging position and movable out of said path to permit movement of said tool to work-engaging position, a lever pivotally mounted on said frame above the pivot of said stop member, said lever having a slot above its pivot, and a stud connected to said stop member and having movement in said slot whereby pivotal movement of said lever in one direction is effective to move said stop member out of said path.

3. Apparatus comprising a frame, a tool mounted in said frame for movement to retracted position and to work-engaging position, and releasable means for preventing movement of said tool to work-engaging position, said means comprising a member in fixed relation to said tool and movable therewith, a stop member pivotally mounted on said frame in the path of movement of said first member to engage the latter and thereby prevent movement of said tool to workengaging position and movable out of said path to permit movement of said tool to work-engaging position, a lever pivotally mounted on said frame above the pivot of said stop member, said lever having a slot above its pivot, and a stud connected to said stop member and having movement in said slot whereby pivotal movement of said lever in one direction is effective to move said stop member out of said p-ath, said stud having a limited movement in relation to said slot to limit the movement of said stop member.

4. Apparatus comprising a frame, a tool mounted in said frame for reciprocating movement to retracted position and to work-engaging position, releasable stop means in the path of said tool to prevent movement thereof to work-engaging position, a guard movable transversely of the path of said tool, and means for simultaneously moving said tool and said guard when said stop means is released.

5. Apparatus comprising a frame, a tool mounted in said frame for reciprocating movement to retracted position and to work-engaging position, releasable stop means in the path of said tool to prevent movement thereof to work-engaging position, a guard comprising spaced arms movable transversely of the path of said tool, and means for simultaneously moving said tool and said guard when said stop means is released.

6. Apparatus comprising a frame, a tool slidably mounted in said frame for reciprocating movement to retracted position and to workengaging position, a work-supporting member mounted on said frame below and in the path of said tool, releasable stop means to prevent movement of said tool to work-engaging position, a slotted guard-plate movable transversely of said work-supporting member substantially adjacent the work-supporting surface of the latter, and means for simultaneously moving said tool and said guard-plate when said stop means is released.

7. Apparatus comprising a stationary frame, a tool mounted in said frame for movement to retracted position and to work-engaging position, a stationary member on said frame in the path of said tool adapted to receive the work to be acted upon by the tool, a guard member mounted on said stationary frame for movement adjacent said stationary member transversely of the path of said tool, means for actuating said tool, and means for automatically moving said guard when said tool is actuated.

8. Apparatus comprising a stationary frame, a tool mounted in said frame for movement to retracted position and to work-engaging position, a stationary member on said frame in the path of said tool adapted to receive the work to be acted upon by the tool, a guard member mounted on said stationary frame for movement adjacent said stationary member transversely of the path of said tool, means for actuating said tool, said guard comprising spaced arms disposed at o-pposite sides of said stationary member, and means for automatically moving said guard when said tool is actuated.

9. Apparatus comprising a stationary frame, a tool mounted in said frame for movement to retracted position and to work-engaging position, a stationary member on said frame in the path of said tool adapted to receive the work to be acted upon by the tool, a guard member mounted on said stationary frame for movement adjacent said stationary member transversely of the path of said tool, a rod for actuating said guard, and a lever having an operative connection with said tool and with said rod for moving said guard When the tool is moved to work-engaging position.

l0. Apparatus comprising a frame, a tool c mounted said frame tor movement to retr cted position and to Work-engaging position, stationary member on said frame in the path of said tool adapted to receive the Work to be d upon by the tool, a guard member mount- E'l ed on said traine -for movement adjacent said cer transversely of the path of frame having a bore, a rod coni rd and slidable in said bore, tne end of said rod and having ,us comprising a frame, a tool frame for movement to retracted d to Work-engaging position, a staoer on said frame in the path of adapted to receive the Work to be acted the tool, a rod slidably mounted in said movement transversely of the path of a block secured to said rod, a guard 1' adjustably secured to said block and "red adjacent said stationary member for i transversely of the of said tool, actuating said tool, and means 'for olly moving said guard when the tool Apparatus comprising a frame, a tool said frame for movement to retractand to Work-engaging position, a .port for the Work engaged by said tool, reicasaole 'nea-ns for preventing movement of said tool riz-engaging positio' said means comprising member in fixed relation to said tool and movable therewith, a stop member pivotally Apparatus comprising a frame, a tool in said frame for movement to re- .ans for preventing movement of said too o Wd engag position, said means comsing a member in ixed relation to said tool iovable therewith, a stop member pivotally d at one end thereof on said frame and opposite end in position normally to said movable member to prevent movesaid tool to Work-engaging position, a ounted on said irame on a pivot in oiset relation to the pivot of said stop member, and a oi and connection between said lever and member whereby pivotal movement of leve one direction is eiective to move i ember out of said normal position 't movement of said tool, said conneceiective in itself to limit said moveo ne lever and stop member.

le. Apparatus comprising a stationary frame,

a tool mounted in said frame for move-y ment to retracted position and to Work-engaging position, a stationary member on said iframe in the path of said tool adapted to receive the Work to be acted upon by the tool, a guard member mounted on said stationary frame for movement adjacent said stationary member transversely of the path of said tool, means for adjusting the position of said guard meL ser in relation to said Work-receiving memb means l for actuating said tool, and means lor automatically moving said guard when said tool is actuated.

i5. Apparatus comprising a stationary ir ne, a tool mounted in said frame for movem to l5 retracted position and to Work-engagig position, a stationary member on tra se in the path of said tool adapted to receive tne Work to be acted upon by the tool, a guard member mounted on said stationary frame movement adjacent said stationary member ansersely of the path of said tool, means for adjusting the position or" said guard member in relation to said Work-receiving r er' er, means for actuating said tool, said gu d comp- Ning spaced arms disposed at opposite sides oi said stationary member, and means for a' Jomatioally moving said guard When tool actuated.

16. Apparatus comprisin7 a stationary frame, a tool mounted in said frame for movement to 3U retracted position and to work-engaging position, a. stationary member on said frame in the path of tool adapted to receive the v-Jori: "'o be acted upon by the tool, a g mounted on said stationary frame foadjacent said stationary member transv providing means for adjusting the position or s guard laterally or said rod, and a lever hav an operative connection with said tool and with said rod for moving said guard when the tool is moved to Work-engaging position.

i7. Apparatus comprising a stationary frame, a tool mounted in said frame for movement to retracted position and to Work-engaging position, a stationary member on` said frame in the path of said tool adapted to receive the to be acted upon by the tool, id member being adjustable toward and away from tool, a

guard member mounted on said stationary for movement adjacent said adjustable ir transversely of the path or" said tool, me adjusting said guard toward and avvay m tool, means for actuating said tool, and means for automatically moving said guard when. said tool is actuated.

18. Apparatus comprising iframe mounted in said frame or mov f tracted position and to Work-engaging a stationary member on of said tool adapted to receive the acted upon by the tool, said membi. justable toward and away from tcoi, rod slidab-ly mounted in said frame for transversely of the path of said tool, cured to said rod, a guard memb^" f secured to said block and posit. d adjasent said stationary member for :fnovem t transversely o the path of said tool, :for actuating said tool, and means or automatically moving said guard When the tool is actuated.

HARRY A. FINE. 

